Paper 2 psychology Final Exam questions 2024/2025
which one of the following statements about evolution is false?
shade one box only
A) evolution involves adapting to the environment
B) evolution involves breeding of those best able to survive
C) evolution involves common genetic material between species
D) evolution involves changes in behaviour from one generation to the next
(CORRECT ANSWER) D - evolution involves changes in behaviour from one
generation to the next
according to the biological approach, which of the following statements is true?
shade one circle only
A) environment may influence the expression of the genotype
B) genotype is just the expression of the environment
C) outside influences cannot affect the expression of the genotype
D) phenotype is only the expression of the genotype (CORRECT ANSWER) A -
environment may influence the expression of the genotype
Outline Wundt's method of introspection. (CORRECT ANSWER) *pps were
presented with a stimulus - ticking metronome
*asked to report their reactions
*a scientific study of conscious experience and what results in it
*introspection - explains how the mind works
*sufficient mental techniques and processes
explain one assumption of the cognitive approach (CORRECT ANSWER) *the
human mind is similar to a theoretical, computer model
*info is inputted via senses, encoded into memory and then retrieves previously
stored info to complete a task
*our brains work like the idea of a computer analogy
Alison is a Psychology teacher who is keen to reduce plastic waste in her school.
She puts a sticker showing an ocean full of plastic waste on each plastic bottle of
water sold in the canteen.
Alison asks canteen staff to increase the price of bottled water by 20p and offer free
refills of water to any student taking in their own bottle. Finally, Alison sets up a bottle
return desk, where students can get 20 p back for any plastic bottle they hand in for
recycling.
Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining people's
behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. [16
marks] (CORRECT ANSWER) *skinner - proposed theory on operant conditioning
*various experiments on animals
*hungry rat inside the 'skinner box'
*explored base beh' - gradually adapted to the environment
, *discovered a lever - press it = a food pellet comes out
*pressing the lever is = operant response/beh'
*food released inside the chamber = the reward = positive reinforcement = more
likely the beh' will be repeated
*food = pleasure
*positive reinforcement - 'offers free refills'
*encourages students to keep using 'their own plastic bottles'
*more likely the positive beh' will be repeated
*positive reinforcement - receiving a reward when a desired beh' is performed
*negative reinforcement - behaving in a certain way in order to avoid something
unpleasant
*increased price of bottles to 20p - in order to reduce plastic waste - students less
likely to buy as it is expensive
*sticker of the ocean of plastic waste - to avoid the consequence of contributing to
the plastic waste = reinforced their beh' of not buying plastic bottles
*skinners rat experiment - operant conditioning = exploratory behaviours, lever and
food pellet
*highly controlled, lab study
*skinner - A03 = used rats therefore cannot be applied accurately to humans as
animal beh' may be different to humans = lacking generalisability
*strength of operant conditioning - can be applied in real-life
for example in psychiatric wards - shows OC is effective and peoples beh's are
influenced by this (strength) - such as Alison who used OC to reduce plastic waste
*skinner - rat study - lacks validity
*deterministic - views the mind as a 'black box' with no free will
*based on a stimulus-response framework - not applicable to the real world
complete the following sentence. shade one box only.
the somatic nervous system
A) comprises of 2 sub-systems
B) connects the central nervous system and the senses
C) consists of the brain and spinal cord
D) controls involuntary responses (CORRECT ANSWER) B - connects the central
nervous system and the senses
the diagram shows the divisions of the nervous system:
the human nervous system
CNS PNS
brain and spinal
cord
XY
SNS and PSNS
name the division of the NS labelled X in the diagram above (CORRECT ANSWER)
X = autonomic nervous system
the diagram shows the divisions of the nervous system:
the human nervous system
CNS PNS
which one of the following statements about evolution is false?
shade one box only
A) evolution involves adapting to the environment
B) evolution involves breeding of those best able to survive
C) evolution involves common genetic material between species
D) evolution involves changes in behaviour from one generation to the next
(CORRECT ANSWER) D - evolution involves changes in behaviour from one
generation to the next
according to the biological approach, which of the following statements is true?
shade one circle only
A) environment may influence the expression of the genotype
B) genotype is just the expression of the environment
C) outside influences cannot affect the expression of the genotype
D) phenotype is only the expression of the genotype (CORRECT ANSWER) A -
environment may influence the expression of the genotype
Outline Wundt's method of introspection. (CORRECT ANSWER) *pps were
presented with a stimulus - ticking metronome
*asked to report their reactions
*a scientific study of conscious experience and what results in it
*introspection - explains how the mind works
*sufficient mental techniques and processes
explain one assumption of the cognitive approach (CORRECT ANSWER) *the
human mind is similar to a theoretical, computer model
*info is inputted via senses, encoded into memory and then retrieves previously
stored info to complete a task
*our brains work like the idea of a computer analogy
Alison is a Psychology teacher who is keen to reduce plastic waste in her school.
She puts a sticker showing an ocean full of plastic waste on each plastic bottle of
water sold in the canteen.
Alison asks canteen staff to increase the price of bottled water by 20p and offer free
refills of water to any student taking in their own bottle. Finally, Alison sets up a bottle
return desk, where students can get 20 p back for any plastic bottle they hand in for
recycling.
Describe and evaluate operant conditioning as a way of explaining people's
behaviour. Refer to Alison's approach to reducing plastic waste in your answer. [16
marks] (CORRECT ANSWER) *skinner - proposed theory on operant conditioning
*various experiments on animals
*hungry rat inside the 'skinner box'
*explored base beh' - gradually adapted to the environment
, *discovered a lever - press it = a food pellet comes out
*pressing the lever is = operant response/beh'
*food released inside the chamber = the reward = positive reinforcement = more
likely the beh' will be repeated
*food = pleasure
*positive reinforcement - 'offers free refills'
*encourages students to keep using 'their own plastic bottles'
*more likely the positive beh' will be repeated
*positive reinforcement - receiving a reward when a desired beh' is performed
*negative reinforcement - behaving in a certain way in order to avoid something
unpleasant
*increased price of bottles to 20p - in order to reduce plastic waste - students less
likely to buy as it is expensive
*sticker of the ocean of plastic waste - to avoid the consequence of contributing to
the plastic waste = reinforced their beh' of not buying plastic bottles
*skinners rat experiment - operant conditioning = exploratory behaviours, lever and
food pellet
*highly controlled, lab study
*skinner - A03 = used rats therefore cannot be applied accurately to humans as
animal beh' may be different to humans = lacking generalisability
*strength of operant conditioning - can be applied in real-life
for example in psychiatric wards - shows OC is effective and peoples beh's are
influenced by this (strength) - such as Alison who used OC to reduce plastic waste
*skinner - rat study - lacks validity
*deterministic - views the mind as a 'black box' with no free will
*based on a stimulus-response framework - not applicable to the real world
complete the following sentence. shade one box only.
the somatic nervous system
A) comprises of 2 sub-systems
B) connects the central nervous system and the senses
C) consists of the brain and spinal cord
D) controls involuntary responses (CORRECT ANSWER) B - connects the central
nervous system and the senses
the diagram shows the divisions of the nervous system:
the human nervous system
CNS PNS
brain and spinal
cord
XY
SNS and PSNS
name the division of the NS labelled X in the diagram above (CORRECT ANSWER)
X = autonomic nervous system
the diagram shows the divisions of the nervous system:
the human nervous system
CNS PNS
